Tube Floc

Tube Flocculator

Introduction

Basically, the flocculation process is the transformation of a suspension of particles into large flocs that can be removed by sedimentation. To improve the performance of flocculators, we need to research how the design and operational parameters affect the aggregation and setting velocity of the flocs. These parameters include energy dissipation rate, hydraulic residence time, coagulant dose, influent turbidity, etc. One of the goals for the AguaClara team is to develop a sedimentation tank that will form a fluidized floc blanket, which will help clean water as it flows into the sedimentation tank from the flocculator. To develop this floc blanket the flocculator must produce flocs that fall within a particular range of settling velocity. Our apparatus (flocculation residual turbidity analyzer or FReTA) is capable of measuring both settling velocity and residual turbidity under different flocculator operating conditions. Complete description and sketches of current apparatus setup can be found here.

The goals of the Tube Floc Team are to determine the parameters that will influent turbidity removal and to develop flocculation models as a guideline for flocculation design.

If you are new to the team or would like to know more about the upkeep of our experimental setup, check out the basics. An excellent resource for information on tube flocculator is Ian Tse's M.S. thesis: [Fluid shear influences on hydraulic flocculation systems characterized using a newly developed method for quantitative analysis of flocculation performance|^Ian Tse MS Thesis.doc]. Detailed information on the [Process Controller] as well as descriptions of the data analysis process can be found in the appendix of this M.S. thesis.

Current Research

Right now this team is working on breaking large flocs at regular intervals in the flocculator to see how the floc breakup affects the performance of flocculator.

Challenges for Future Semesters

• Try different floc breakup intervals to determine optimal spacing of clamps or orifices.
• To test tapered flocculation which is realized by reducing the energy dissipation rate gradually so that the flocs are able to grow.
• To research how the presence of suspend and dissolved organic matter influences coagulant dose.
• Special Skills Needed: 
  • CEE 4540: This course could provide a fundamental understanding about municipal drinking water treatment.
  • MathCAD: We use this software to do the calculation for the research.
  • Lyx: This software is helpful when writing a scientific report.

More Information

Common Problems  and troubleshooting about the apparatus, Process Controller and Data Processor. 

Experimental methods and material list

Fall 2011 Research

Fall 2010 Research

Documents